Cosmeticsurgeon.co.uk - UK Cosmetic Surgeons

Cosmetic surgery has long been considered a woman’s pursuit, yet figures indicate that male treatments and procedures are becoming more popular year on year.

Cosmetic surgery is an increasingly appealing option at this time of year as the sun appears and people prepare to bare their bodies on holiday. Treatments such as liposuction and body contouring, breast augmentation and breast lifts are very popular among women, but the summer body panic is not restricted to females, with cosmetic surgeons reporting an increase in the number of men seeking treatment to enhance their physique.

Why are more men having surgery?

Men who are familiar with Men’s Health covers, Abercrombie and Fitch models and posters of well-known Euro 2012 stars may be dreading baring their bodies on the beach, fearing that what they have to offer doesn’t quite match the tanned, toned torsos on parade in magazines and billboards. Thankfully, for those who are worried about ‘moobs’, love handles or wrinkles, there is an array of treatments now available to men.

Which treatments do men go for?

In the past, the most popular treatments for men included rhinoplasty (more commonly known as a nose job) and otoplasty (pinning back the ears), but over the course of the last few years,  body contouring treatments have become increasingly popular, as men look to replicate the muscular, taut physiques showcased by elite athletes and gym bunnies. Developments in cosmetic surgery mean that treatment is simpler, safer and quicker than ever before and cosmetic surgery is no longer a taboo subject, meaning men do not have to fear ridicule for having surgery.

Treatments, such as Vaser Hi-Def liposuction, are popular because they create definition and tone, while male breast reduction, designed to remove excess fat from the chest, has also become increasingly popular. Male boobs commonly referred to as ‘moobs’ have appeared in many television programmes and are discussed in health magazines. People may joke about moobs, but for some men, this is a serious issue, which affects their confidence, especially in the summer months when you want to wear less clothing. A simple procedure can now eradicate these problems and help men to feel confident in time for trips to the beach.

Most people who have received an invite to the upcoming Royal Wedding are fretting over what they’re going to wear to the event and shopping for the perfect dress and perfect pair of shoes.

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson isn’t fretting over what dress she’s going to wear to the event however, she’s fretting over what nose she’ll be wearing to the wedding. Supposedly the UK socialite is wanting to have a new nose in place before she watches the royal nuptials.

Although this may seem like a bizarre way to prepare for such a special event, Tara is defending her desire for the new nose by saying she wants a nose with a “straighter profile”, something that apparently wasn’t achieved by her last nose job, done due to damage from her previous cocaine habit.

Amazingly, she isn’t the only one planning surgery for big events. Whether it’s the Royal Wedding or tea time with the Beckhams, cosmetic procedures, whether surgical or non-surgical, are being seen more frequently, which is oddly timed when the conditions of the current economic climate are considered. Market analysts have estimated that in Britian almost 20 million adults want to have plastic surgery and although the number of procedures went down when the economy began suffering, plastic surgeons saw an increase of over 15 percent between the years of 2008 and 2010. The most popular cosmetic procedures currently being done are non-surgical.

“While we feel young on the inside, our outside may not look like we feel,” says plastic surgeon Douglas McGeorge. He says treatments increased in popularity because people live longer. Currently the number of treatments performed stands at 1.3 million, which means the number has risen 30 per cent over the previous two years.

Plastic surgery techniques and treatments continue to become more advanced and the results are becoming more satisfactory, also allowing patients to better predict the treatment’s results. Having plastic surgery for cosmetic purposes is believed by many to just be a lifestyle choice, and the the increasing numbers are proof of that.

The 2.3 billion market apparently sees face lifts and breast augmentations as the biggest trends, as reported in recent figures from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. There’s also been an increase in gynaecomastia treatments, proving men are having more procedures also.

McGeorge says that more than anything, plastic surgery is more “…about the patient’s wellbeing, not just the surgery.”

Few plastic surgeries can change the physical appearance as drastically as a nose job. Even a slight augmentation to the nose can make a patient look and feel like a brand new person.

Recent advances in rhinoplasty have made the procedure even more attractive to patients as studies have shown that the best grafting material for use in nose reconstruction might come from the patient’s own rib cartilage.

In the past rhinoplasty surgery didn’t get the respect it deserved because the end results were often unsatisfactory due to the inability to find a great grafting material. The emergence of studies revealing rib cartilage as not only a suitable alternative, but the preferable alternative to other tissues has aided a renewal in the enthusiasm for this type of plastic surgery.

Previously surgeons would use bone cartilage from the septum or the concha of the ear to graft onto the nose to give it a new shape. Synthetic implants have also been used, however, none of these options gave the desired results and patients often felt displeased with the results of their procedure.

Studies done at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston claim that using rib cartilage provides fewer allergic reactions and better long term results. A survey was taken of 357 patients who had nasal reconstruction using rib cartilage and 94.2 per cent reported long term satisfaction with the results of their procedure.

Though cosmetic concerns are the number one reason for having a rhinoplasty done, many patients seek out the procedure to improve their ability to breathe. The rib cartilage seems to provide a better graft and therefore more stability for the long term success of the reconstructed nose. Revision rhinoplasty surgery was not requested with any of the patients surveyed and there were no reported allergic reactions when rib cartilage was used.

Though it is important for all candidates for cosmetic surgery to have realistic ideas of what they hope their surgery to achieve, because of the advances in rhinoplasty involving rib cartilage the potential negative results and side effects of the procedure have lessoned making it a more viable alternative for those who want to make a permanent change in their facial structure.